Here I Raise My Ebenezer - James McManus
Probably like many of you, one of my all time favorite hymns is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. It never fails to bring me to tears … by the time of the 2nd or 3rd verse, I am usually just mouthing the words because I’m trying to compose myself! It’s a hymn that strikes a chord (excuse the pun) in many Christians hearts, because, I believe, of how the melody supports and surrounds the message of grace and mercy and praise … really, of the message of the Gospel! It’s a melody of the Gospel, driving along the message of the Gospel.
I particularly enjoy the 2nd verse, “Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I'm come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.” Ebenezer - how can a Reformed Presbyterian not love a hymn with a rather obscure Old Testament reference like this one?!?! We are introduced to Ebenezer in 1 Samuel as the site which the Philistines defeated Israel’s army and where they captured the ark of the covenant. But, it is later on in 1 Samuel that Ebenezer is the place described where Samuel erected a stone to commemorate a victory over the Philistines. Ebenezer means “stone of help”. It is was erected as a memorial to the blessings and deliverance of the Lord.
I find it interesting that the hymn writer talks about Ebenezer in a personal sense - here I raise “my” Ebenezer. My conviction is that part of being a Christian, of receiving and resting uponJesus alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel, is remembering the Lord’s goodness to us, both in salvation and in the blessings and mercies of this life here on earth. That it is good for us to think back on our salvation, and on God’s goodness to us. That it is necessary for us think back on our salvation, and on God’s goodness to us. That we need to raise our own personal Ebenezers as a memorial to, and a reminder to think back and remember on, the blessings and deliverance of the Lord.
I can recount every detail of my being saved by the Lord as a sophomore in high school, coming home from a youth group one Sunday evening September and thinking about my great need of a greater Savior. I can recount every detail of the Lord convicting me of how far I have wandered from Him over the past several years. I can recount every word of the prayer I prayed on my knees under my Sgt. Peppers poster that July evening. I rejoice in those memories. I rejoice in God saving an unworthy sinner such as I. I rejoice in God’s patience with me as I wandered away from Him. I rejoice in the Holy Spirit breaking my heart over this rebellion.
I also find it necessary for me to remember this. It is said that Martin Luther would touch his forehead where he was baptized so he could remember the grace of that sacrament applied to him. In Ephesians 2, we are called to remember who we once were, and who we are now in Christ Jesus. Psalm 103 calls us to not forget our forgiveness and redemption. There are times in my own spiritual journey that are dark and depressing. There are times when I feel like the Psalmist in Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.” But, I find that when I think back to that September evening in 1991, when Jesus saved me … and then in the summer of 1997, when I was convicted of my waywardness and God’s grace and repented of my sins … then the light of God’s grace begins to break through, and I am reminded that I rest in the hand of my Heavenly Father, and nothing can change that. I am thankful for that personal Ebenezer.
I also think a personal Ebenezer reflects on God’s goodness to us over our lives. We are called to forget not all His benefits. Our lives are testimonies of God’s never ending goodness. The church I pastor, Bethel ARP in Winnsboro, SC, observes Pastor’s Appreciation every October - and they are very generous in that time, and throughout the rest of the year. It never fails that when they present their gifts on a Sunday in October, I am brought to tears (I tend to get weepy as you probably can tell by now) as I am overwhelmed by their love and goodness - and the reminder of God’s goodness and grace and love to me and my family here, and over all these years. I can write on and on and on about God’s goodness to me. I find it necessary to remember God’s goodness because I believe that part of Satan’s work against God’s sons and daughters is to try and convince us that God isn’t always good. Wasn’t that part of his temptation in the garden? Doesn’t he continue to whisper that in our ears, especially when we don’t get what we want? How easily I can fall for this whispered lie from that forked tongue. So, like the Psalmist, and countless other Christians, I have to remind myself of God’s goodness to me - His goodness in my salvation, His goodness in my sanctification, His goodness in my wife, His goodness in my children, His goodness in my friends, His goodness in my church, His goodness in my denomination of the ARP. I find that my personal Ebenezer of God’s goodness casts a large shadow over all my life - I just need to see that shadow and stay in it.
So, here I raise my Ebenezer, so I may always remember God’s goodness in all ways in my life, especially in my salvation and the overwhelming and overflowing blessings and mercies that he has given me.
I don’t know where you are in your life right now, but I do know this about you - God has given you personal Ebenezers so you can reflect on God’s salvation of your eternal soul and life, and God’s goodness in your life. We can each raise our Ebenezers as a memorial to the goodness of God. Here is the most wonderful thing about a personal Ebenezer - we realize it is not about us, but about our good God. Our Ebenezers reminds us of His help, His grace, His love … and there is nothing better to raise and remember than that!